


Blooming Eclipse

by BirbLover



Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Adventure, Angst, Crime, F/F, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mystery, Romance, slowburn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:20:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27275581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BirbLover/pseuds/BirbLover
Summary: When several warriors mysteriously die, Starclan sends a prophecy to two Medicine Cats, hoping that they can save the clans.But will a simple prophecy be enough?
Relationships: Original Character/Original Character
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	1. Oblivion

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! English is not my first language, and this was translated from brazilian portuguese. Sorry if some phrases sound weird. You are more than welcome to point out spelling mistakes!
> 
> Anyways, i wrote this while listening to Oblivion by Bastille, so i think that maybe that's a good song choice to listen to while reading.

The stars aren't shining as much as they did anymore. They've gotten weaker. They forgot about us. I know it. I know this better than anyone else. But even then, i don't want to fade. I don't want them to fade either. Each star carries a spirit, a spirit of someone who existed - someone who exists - in the heart of another somebody, a somebody who cares about them, long after they've died.

  
But sadly, there's not much i can do about that. Even the most loyal warriors are forgotten with the passage of time. It's normal. It's necessary. Even i can't give place to everyone in my pelt, that's why the Dark Forest exists. To give a home to those who don't have a place among the stars.  
The souls of those who aren't pure don't turn into stars. Then, instead of letting them walk around in the living world, like the poor, poor kittypets, i created a forest just for them. But as the stars need love and attention, i don't have enough time to take care of their forest. This saddens me. Maybe, one day, i'll find a good caretaker for the Dark Forest, but that's not important now.

  
The little starlings - _the living_ \- they're suffering. I can't send a prophecy to the stars that live in me, they would freak out, and have biases and wouldn't be able to make a wise choise, and that's not what i want. In a time like this, division is the last thing we need. It shouldn't exist. We should be united just like all the stars that one day will fall into oblivion.

  
I need someone loyal, open minded, but that knows when to back down.

  
I need someone strong, brave, and that would do anything to protect those who they love.

  
Yes.

  
I know.

I know the heart of every cat.

  
I've made my choice.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

  
Shellsong padded into camp with wet paws. It's newleaf and the herbs are hidden below a thick layer of mud. She passed by her clanmates.

  
"Shellsong!" a white she-cat mewed, "Come eat with us!"

  
Another cat mewed by her side. "Yeah, it's barely sunrise. You need to eat, hun."

  
The she-cat didn't even look at them. Instead, she went straight into the medicine den, putting her leaves in a little pile that she forgot to organize two moons ago.

  
She looked around. This place was so familiar, but still so... _strange_. She looked at some herbs that her mentor left floating in a puddle of water. She would need to take them out of there and dry them up.

  
 _"I'll sort these out later."_ she thought, padding to her nest.

  
She felt the need of sleep creeping up her back.

"Oh, you're back!"

Shellsong lifted her head and saw Sagebird.

"I also see that you've finally looking at a cat in the eye! " she purred. "That was an awful _eyecough_ you had!"

Shellsong grunted and laid back down, hiding behind her bushy tail. She could listen to Sagebird's footsteps, who later laid down beside her and put a fish in front of her, who sniffed it tentatively.

"You left camp so early in the morning, didn't even wait for the hunting patrol. You must be hungry."

Shellsong didn't answer. She really did leave before the sun even considered lighting up the sky, and was dying of hunger. So, she bit the fish. Delicious, fair, good.

As she ate, Sagebird shared tongues with her, grooming her fur as if she was a kit. Shellsong did not complain. After everything that happened, all that she wanted was a bit of love from her mother, a role that Sagebird filled with pleasure. After some time, Shellsong was clean, but Sagebird still groomed her and brushed their cheeks every now and then. Shellsong purred, and lifted her head to return the favour. As she shared tongues with Sagebird, the ginger cat started speaking.

  
"Thank you for foraging this morning. I really needed some raspberry leaves."

  
Shellsong didn't answer.

  
"You know, the way you store herbs may be messy," she eyed Shellsong's pile of leaves "But you're good. _Really good_. You already remember all types of diseases and all of their cures. You are an amazing medicine cat, did you know that?"

  
With that, Shellsong stopped licking the ginger cat and laid back down. She looked at her paws and flexed them.

  
 _"A few moons ago, these paws carried the biggest claws Riverclan has ever seen."_ She thought.

  
"Y'know... if you want, next half moon i can name you a proper medicine cat."

  
"And stop being your apprentice?" Shellsong's ears flattened "I _like_ being an apprentice. Surely if i was a medicine cat i would screw everything up."

  
"You don't know that."

  
"There's also no way for you to know if i'll be good or not."

  
Sagebird's mew was more firm than before. " _Shellsong_."

  
The she-cat looked up. Her big blue eyes were of a kit's inside the nursery.

  
"I adore being with you. And i assume you think the same of me. _But i'm old_. One day, i'll go to the elder's den or i'll join my mother in Starclan." She gazed at Shellsong. "One day, i won't be here anymore, and Riverclan will need a new medicine cat. Riverclan will need _you_."

  
"I was a warrior before." Shellsong looked down.

  
"But you're not a warrior anymore! Forgive me, but you need to deal with it! This accident happened more than five moons ago! The kits of yesterday will turn into apprentices this moon and you don't even look at your clanmates anymore!"

  
"I just wanted to protect my clan!" Shellsong got up, snarling.

  
"And you did protect them!" Sagebird got up aswell, her fur standing up. "And you will protect them until the day you die." Her spine softened "It's just that you'll do it in a different way. A medicine cat's herbs deserve as much respect as a warrior's claws."

  
Shellsong sighed and started walking out of the den, feeling the shame creeping up her neck. She snarled at her medicine cat, at her _mentor_ , and if she could, she would have shown her claws too.

"I'm just... gonna fish."

  
Shellsong didn't look back - or up, for that matter.

  
Her paws were still wet with mud. It's likely that she won't get any fish, but it also wasn't really an excuse. She hated mud on her paws.

  
She walked between bushed and found a small river that ran along their territory, then, she got into position. Shadow out of the water, open eyes, static paws.

  
 _"Be one with the river. It will help you when you're lost."_ Said her old mentor.

  
And just like that, it was done. Shellsong felt as if the river was herself. The water wan between her paws and welcomed her. It was calming.

  
With the water massaging her fur, Shellsong felt her eyes closing, and this time, she wasn't able to open them again. It as if she had lost control over her body - and truth be told, she had.

  
And just like that, she let the river embrace her.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

_"Shellsong."_

  
Shellsong opened her eyes and looked around. It was... moonhigh? But it was sunrise when she left camp. Then she looked down.

  
Water.

This was certainly the most glorious river Shellsong had seen in her life! She looked down and saw small fish swimming around her, and on the dephts of the river, she saw cats! Breathing underwater!

  
_"They live there."_

  
Shellsong lowered her head and looked closely.

  
"What do you mean with 'live there'? Cat's don't breathe underwater. And who are you?"

  
The voice chuckled.

  
_"I am Silverpelt. I thought all medicine cats knew me."_

  
As she heard that, Shellsong trembled. She wasn't able to talk to normal spirits, let alone be speaking to **the** Silverpelt.

  
"I'm _not_ a medicine cat." She spat.

_"You're a medicine cat's apprentice. Does that make much difference?"_

  
Shellsong saw the stars shift a little, as if amused by her answer.

  
_"But even then, here, you can enjoy the company of your claws as much as you'd like."_

  
As she heard that, Shellsong flexed her paws and let out a mew of surprise as she saw her claws again. She purred as she used hew paws to splash the water and run around the stars, just like a kit.

  
 _"This is oblivion, Shellsong."_ Silverpelt spoke tentatively, as the stars watched Shellsong play with the fish on the water. _"This is the place between Starclan's hunting grounds and the Dark Forest. If a cat's spirit is pure, their light sould will bring them to the surface, and will join me. If they're not, well, they will sink and fall down into the Dark Forest, and are obligated to walk alone. If they learn their lesson, i will find space for them in my pelt."_

  
As she heard that, Shellsong stopped running around, and looked down at the two cats. She observed as one cat opened their eyes and swam to the surface. The cat looked at Shellsong and jumped, turning into a beautiful bloom of light, that then joined the other stars in Silverpelt's embrace.

  
Shellsong blinked and looked down again, at the other cat. That cat didn't swim to the surface like the other. Instead, Shellsong saw as the cat's mouth opened in horror and was dragged down, trying to swim up with no success.

  
The she-cat blinked.

  
"Who are they?"

  
 _"The two cats you just saw?"_ the stars replied _"Amberstar and Mothdusk. I wasn't able to find a place for Mothdusk's spirit in my pelt, so he will have to walk alone until there's enough space here."_

  
 _"Amberstar"._ Shellsong looked up and saw a few stars shifting. They were choosing who were to give nine lives to Shadowclan's new leader, Coalstrike.

  
"You certainly didn't summon me here to gossip about spirits, right? Why am i here?" She asked.

  
And the stars replied.

  
_"Horrible times are coming. We need you, Shellsong."_

  
"Horrible? What do you mean 'horrible'? The clans are _fine!_ No wars are happening, and even without much food, we are managing."

  
The stars fell into silence, leaving Shellsong alone in oblivion.

  
**_"When the river's shell finds the roots of the most beautiful blossom, the earth shall move, and finally peace will be restored."_ **

  
Shellsong perket up her ears and listened carefully, but honestly, she didn't understand a thing. But before she could answer. She felt the water beneath her paws - water that once was solid - dissolving, and she saw herself in the middle of an ocean.

  
She tried swimming up, but she felt something biting her scruff, and when she opened her eyes, she saw herself in front of Sagebird, who was holding herbs on her mouth. The sweet scent of honey reached Shellsong's nose and she felt more relaxed. The she-cat grunted, she was in a really uncomfortable position. A cat was holding her by the neck, just like a kit. Shellsong protested and tried smacking the cat with her paws. With that, Sagebird's eyes glimmered and the cat behind Shellsong let her down.

  
The she-cat looked back and saw Amberwhisper smiling at her. Oh how she wanted to smack his dumb muzzle. She will do that after she recovers though. Right now, she can't even stand up.

  
Shellsong coughed up a bit of water and Amberwhisper started licking her back, as Sagebird put the herbs in front of Shellsong. It was a small bundle with honey inside. The blue-eyed she-cat bent down and started licking the leaves, feeling much better afterwards. Her mind was running faster than a Windclan warrior.

  
"You alright, honey?" Sagebird mewed.

  
"You weren't breathing." Added Amberwhisper, worry in his voice.

Shellsong locked eyes with Sagebird. It was just another dumb prophecy, it was normal, right? If so... why was she feeling so small?

  
Finally, she took a deep breath and opened her mouth.

  
"We will fall into oblivion if we don't do something."


	2. The Silence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't listen to anything while working on this chapter-- aside from a few D:BH gameplays-- but i think that the song that fits the most with this chapter is The Silence by Bastille. Dare i say, this song even has a bit of foreshadowing!
> 
> Though the song is a bit too... happy? For this chapter, so if you want to listen to something while reading, i recommend the cover by indi sage!
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXDnB6JQb8Q

The forest was dark even with the sun high in the sky. A ginger tom sniffed a bush, thoughtful. His ears perked up when a small, white and brown she-cat padded up to his side, a few sticks on her mouth. She blinked at him, but he didn't respond. Then, after a few heartbeats, he let out a happy _mrrow_ and started digging. The tom started throwing dirt everywhere, and the she-cat took a few paw-steps back, watching.

Then, the tom put his head inside the hole and came back with a bunch of sorrel leaves on his mouth. The white she-cat opened her mouth in surprise, letting the sticks fall to the ground. The tom let out a _mrrrow_ of laughter!

"Sorry, Tornspring!" She mewed, quickly picking up the sticks. "I's jus tha' i neve thought tha' yo' ha' sorrel on thi' par' o' the fo'est!"

Tornspring let out a purr and signed with his tail to keep moving.

The two cats walked to camp. The she-cat used her claws to open a path in between the bushes, using her long tail to guide the old medicine cat into camp. Everytime she saw that she was too far up ahead, she stopped on her tracks. Tornspring could still walk alone, of course! He was older and wiser than her, but she couldn't help but feel sorrow for him. He had a massive scar on his back. The wound had already healed of course, but the cut was deep, making him unable to move his hind legs properly. That's without talking about his eyes. Someone had blinded him.

She found a growl rising up on her throat. Who would dare to hurt such a sweet cat like Tornspring?

She was shaken out of her thoughts when Tornspring caught up to her and nuzzled her sides. She shook her head and trotted back to camp.

When they got there, she was welcomed by the sight of her clanmates, playing or sleeping on the various rocks they had at camp. She mewed at them, and one she-cat in particular got up and nuzzled both medicine cats.

"Welcome back, Blossompaw!" She licked the white she-cat's forehead "And welcome back, Tornspring!" She licked his muzzle a few times. The two purred. "You ready to go to the Moonstone, Little Flower?"

Blossompaw jumped a little bit in excitement, dropping the sticks on the ground. "I can't wait, Lilyheart! It's going to be so _purr-tastic_!"

The grey she-cat nodded. "You'll need to be strong to travel with Coalstrike. Come, i'll take the sorrel with me." She took the leaves out of Tornspring's mouth and headed to the medicine den.

Blossompaw nudged Tornspring and both cats followed Lilyheart.

Their den was different from the other clans. They lived on a tree. Bigger and separated from the others. The roots of their tree were out of the earth, sort of like a small cave. The top of the tree has a big hole, sheltered by the leaves, so when it rains, the cats are protected. Most of the time, they sleep on top of the tree, and hoard the herbs under it. Blossompaw had the medicine nest all for herself, seeing as Tornspring couldn't climb the tree. But she couldn't help but feel guilty, so she sleeps on the roots with him.

The white she-cat climbed the tree with Lilyheart. Storing the sticks and picking up what they needed. " _Sorrel, daisy, chamomile... what more, w_ _hat more, what more?! Burnet! Yes! That's it!"_ She grabbed the herbs and jumped down.

With the help of Tornspring, she was able to mix all them and make a paste. She wrapped them up inside a few leaves with honey. No reason at all. It didn't help the herbs work better or anything, it just tasted better like that.

Lilyheart then called for Coalstrike, who got up and beside Blossompaw. The apprentice was already chewing on her bundle, licking the honey off of her muzzle.

"Don't need to worry!" She swallowed "I put a bit of honey so it doesn't taste so bad!" Blossompaw purred.

Coalstrike didn't answer. Instead, the black tom ate in silence, twitching his tail every now and then. He swallowed and licked his lips.

"It's my nine-lives ceremony." He whispered. "Why do i feel so empty?" he asked, to no one in particular.

He turned his gaze to Blossompaw. She felt as if he was staring into her soul. She shifted uncomfortably. Coalstrike got the hint and looked away.

"Let's move along." he mewed at last. "You are the apprentice who's coming with me, aren't you? You know the path to the Moonstone?"

Blossompaw huffed with irritation.

"Of course i do! What kind of medicine cat do you think i am?" She puffed her chest to look bigger, and failed miserably.

He eyed her again, and started walking to the camp entrance, shifting his tail, asking her to move.

"I just hope you're the good leader Amberstar ought you to be." She mumbled.

He turned his head, ears twitching.

The white apprentice let out an annoyed meow and ran after him, her tail up high.

"Try not to get lost in the forest, camp-mouse."

"It's the future leader you're talking to." He mewed, edge in his voice.

Blossompaw paid no mind to his threat. Instead, she used her tail to wave goodbye to Lilyheart and Tornspring. And then, they made their way to the Moonstone

｡･::･ﾟ★,｡･::･ﾟ☆

"Do you even know where we are heading?" Coalstrike mewed impatiently.

"Of course i do!" Blossompaw mewed. "We're going to the Moonstone. Here,i found a few of them on the ground. Touch them and we're heading back."

The black tom looked at the rocks behind Blossompaw, and then turned to her, a frustrated growl rising on his throat.

"Get on with it! Where are we heading?!"

Blossompaw sighed. "This is a shortcut. Tornspring taught me."

The she-cat turned into the pile of stones ahead of her. She pawed a few of them thoughtfully, but let out a happy mew when one of them shifted. Then she started pushing the rocks out of the way, asking for Coalstrike's help when she couldn't shift the bigger ones. In a few heartbeats, they were able to clear the path to a dark tunnel.

Blossompaw seemed pleased and walked up to the tunnels, but stopped when she saw that Coalstrike wasn't following her. She looked back and he stood at the entrance of the tunnels, a puzzled look on his face.

She let out a meow and sat down.

"You coming?"

"I'm not gonna walk on this tunnel! What if it falls down on top of us?"

Blossompaw rolled her eyes and started licking her paws. If he kept talking then maybe she had more time to rest, after all.

"It won't fall down on top of us. If that was StarClan's wish, then this path would be blocked already."

He didn't reply.

"Come on, Coalstrike." She mewed "It's either this or you'll have to walk all the way through WindClan territory."

"' _You_ '? What do you mean by that?" He raised his brow.

The apprentice got up and started walking dramatically around the tunnel she was in. "You can use this nice, dark, comfortable tunnel to go to the Moonstone..." she made the cutest, kitty-like eyes she could and made her ears fall flat on her head. "Or... you could walk all the way through WindClan territory alone and find a patrol. Or even worse! Hurt your paws even more. Oh poor, _poor_ Coalstrike!"

She made a mocking voice and a few more snarky comments, but the tom didn't answer her. Instead, when she started walking, he begrudgingly followed her, mumbling.

Blossompaw purred with satisfaction. She hated WindClan territory. It was always so hot and different from ShadowClan. _No wonder they're so skinny! The sun probably burns all of their prey!_ She thought.

"How does Tornspring know about this?" He mewed.

"He doesn't like WindClan territory." She mewed. "He said he found these tunnels while looking for another path to the Moonstone."

The tom hummed in response, thinking. Blossompaw kept walking through the path she knew so well. Tornspring had taught her everything about these tunnels and how to not get stuck. She turned to the right.

"Seeing as the Moonstone is in WindClan territory, they could easily find this tunnel and attack ShadowClan!" Coalstrike growled.

"Do you think we didn't think of that?" Blossompaw looked back. It's not as if he could properly see her in the dark, but she wishes he could feel her annoyed gaze piercing his skull. "You should stop taking us medicine cats for granted, you know. Anyways, we knew of this possibility, and covered the tunnels with rocks. There is a specific pattern to move the rocks out of the way. I doubt these rabbit-brained WindClanners know how to do something other than digging and running."

And then, silence came. The apprentice guided her soon-to-be-leader through the tunnels. 

Her paws weren't so sore anymore. It was cold here, it was comfortable.  
She blinked a few times when she saw a faint blue light. Then meowed back at Coalstrike. The apprentice started running torwards the Moonstone, the tom right behind her.

They tunnels got larger and larger until they were in a cave just as big as their camp, a gigantic crystal on the center, the Moonstone. It shone with a beautiful bright blue-purple light.

Blossompaw sat down and looked back at Coalstrike, who stopped walking a few pawsteps behind the apprentice. 

"Well?" She mewed "What are you waiting for? It's your big day."

"Yes. Of course."

Blossompaw watched as he padded beside her, crouched and touched noses with the Moonstone. Soon his breath got steady, and Blossompaw could tell he was already walking among the StarClan cats. The apprentice saw herself following the example of her deputy, and soon, her eyes too, closed.

｡･::･ﾟ★,｡･::･ﾟ☆

Blossompaw opened her eyes and found herself in StarClan. There was no ground there, and she was floating. She looked around and saw that, below her, was a beautiful place, with water and light blue grass. She floated around, looking at the few cats who walked there. A few of them saw her and mewed. She mewed back.

_"Those are the StarClan hunting grounds."_

Blossompaw perked her ears and looked around.

"Who's there?"

_"Yet again another apprentice doesn't recognize me. I have to say, i'm offended."_

The voice answered, but didn't sound mad at all. Instead, they sounded amused.

Blossompaw pouted. "Hey! Playing pranks is my thing! You can't just walk around and do what i do best!" She turned around frantically, trying to look for whoever was speaking.

_"Oh, i don't walk, little one. I am everywhere, everytime, for i am the Silverpelt."_

Blossompaw's eyes shone brighter than a star! But before she could say anything else, there was a big flash of light. She blinked and looked down. There, more separated from the other cats, was Coalstrike, surrounded by nine others. " _He's receiving his lives!"_ She thought. She noticed when the dark warrior trembled. And for the first time in a while, she felt bad for him.

"Will he be okay?"

_"Of course. Every leader goes through this ceremony. It's normal."_

She let out a small ' _oh_ ' and closed her eyes when a second flash of light came out.

"Can he see me?"

_"No he can't. For you and the other spirits, you look like a normal cat. But for him, you are another dancing star."_

The apprentice hummed in response, taking her eyes away from him when a third cat walked forward and another flash of light appeared.

"Why are all these stars here in the sky when they have this nice camp down there?"

_"You see, Little Starling. When a cat is forgotten, they turn into a star. But, there are also cats who don't want to be on the hunting grounds, cats who choose to be stars until they are called - or until they want to get down again. It's their choice."_

There was a fourth flash of light, and Blossompaw had to cover her ears as Coalstrike screamed.

"Should... should this be happening?" Blossompaw asked. Fear in her voice.

Five. Coalstrike almost fell to the ground. Blossomlaw now feared for him. This shouldn't be happening! This should be the happiest moment in his life! Why is he in so much pain?

Six. Blossompaw saw as Coalstrike lifted himself off of the ground.

 _"Blossompaw."_ The Silverpelt spoke. _"I have an important task for you."_

Seven.

"What do you need?" She looked up, and the stars looked brighter than ever.

Eight.

_**"When the moon is high up in the sky, there will be no peace until you find the flower that is blooming on the shadows."** _

Nine.

｡･::･ﾟ★,｡･::･ﾟ☆

Blossompaw opened her eyes. She was inside the cave again. She looked up and saw Coalstrike laying on the ground. He wasn't sleeping in his crouching position anymore, it was as if a monster had ran over him, leaving him dead on the Thunderpath.

_Dead._

The memories of Coalstrike screaming flooded her mind.

Blossompaw could feel her heart racing.

She got up and ran to Coalstrike-- _Coalstar_. She put her paw up to his nose. He wasn't breathing. She didn't know what to do! No one told her how to act in this kind of situation! Confused and with no other option, she just licked his neck and muzzle, just like a kit, in hopes that this way he would wake up.

After what felt like moons, Coalstar shifted. He tried getting up but fell down again. Blossompaw quickly came to his aid and let him use her as a support. She didn't have any sarcastic remark. Instead, she guided him through the tunnels back to the forest. They walked slowly, but got out of the tunnels soon enough. It was as if Coalstar had forgotten how to walk.

When they got out of the tunnels and the sun welcomed them, Coalstar spoke.

"I lost a life."


End file.
